“All employees found violating ‘no noon break’ policy stipulated under Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-red tape act of 2007 will be penalized depending on the violation they committed,” an official of the Civil Service Commission warned.

In the program, "Mamamayan muna, hindi mamaya na," CSC senior personnel specialist Alfredo Pauig said concerned employees who fail to render frontline services within the prescribed period on any application and/or request without due cause will be charged with 30 days suspension for first offense, three months suspension without pay for second offense and dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public service for third offense.

Pauig has reiterated that agency chiefs of all government offices with frontline services should devise a plan as to how they could implement ‘no noon break’ policy even during lunch breaks.

“This means that all employees in state colleges, local government units, health stations and other agencies should have rotation in going out for break, particularly every 12 o’clock noon to 1:00 in the afternoon, to avoid delays in giving quality services to the clients," he said.

Pauig said this is based on the order of CSC secretary Francisco Duque III for all government employees to provide quality services to all state workers.

He likewise said they are making rounds of government agencies to check for violations of the said policy, which is prescribed under Republic Act No. 9485, or the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007.

“We already visited two offices in Tuguegarao city and so far, there were violators yet,” Pauig said adding that they will make a report to be submitted to the CSC central office regarding their findings in their unannounced visits to the different agencies.

Based on the ARTA, heads of offices and agencies which render frontline services shall adopt appropriate working schedules to ensure that all clients who are within their premises prior to the end of official working hours are attended to and served even during lunch break and after regular working hours.

Under the said law, government agencies are also required to set up public assistance desks, "complete and display their Citizen's Charters, and institute measures to stem fixer/fixing activities. (TCB/PIA 2)

The Dep Ed Regional Office in Cagayan de Oro does not have any posters of the "No Noon Break" and the security guards would not allow people to transact business at noon. Are there any exemptions to this policy?